Touching Fear
by infinityneverlasts
Summary: Haphephobia is the fear of being touched. Can Hikari handle its side effects as a ninja? Eventual NarutoxOC
1. Chapter 1

**_Alright, I've had this idea for awhile and I just want to know what you guys (if there's any of you at all) think of about this and if I should continue this, if my character is all Mary Sue and other things and whatnot._**

**_…yeah…so…tell me what you think! Please? ¿Por favor? …I don't know any other languages…I'm sorry :)_**

**_Hope you enjoy!_**

_Chapter One: Confined Imprisonment— I Mean —...Home?_

"Might as well talk now Gaki, it'll be easier this way. At least we'll know you're innocent." A man with a deep scowl and sour eyes sneered at me. Just staring at his disgruntled stature had my heart accelerating the longer I was in his presence. As my eyes frantically took in the dark surroundings, I could hear myself panting as a small stab of claustrophobia overrode my senses.

Arching an eyebrow at my actions, the man looked up to the ceiling as if contemplating whether I was worth the effort of comfort or not. At my now loud breathing and slight shrieks, he sighed and slapped a hand to his forehead in agitation before approaching my imprisoned form.

Clenching my fists as he strode over with a bored expression, I could feel my body tense up against the rope that had me bound to the unusual chair. Gasping for more air at an increasingly irregular rate, my response to his outstretched hand had even myself surprised at the forceful manner it managed to posses.

"Don't touch me!"

Stepping back with quick reflexes, the man cast an inquiring look before apprehension replaced the short lived curiosity. Giving one last glare, he shook his head before muttering loudly of how he detested children and strode from before me and into the darkness before disappearing completely.

[][][]

"I said don't touch me!" I shouted as who I had learned was the Head of Interrogation, Ibiki, attempted to grab my arm in order to make me walk faster. Not even bothering to hide my scowl, I did my best to ignore the mind numbing heat that seemed to be never ending here. Long gone was my sanctuary of snow, now heat was here to replace it.

Feeling the sweat- a new bothersome sensation -rolling down my forehead and back, I wouldn't have wanted even my most trusted friends to touch me for fear of some sort of heat stroke. As Ibiki moodily dragged me along the back ways of the unknown village, all I could feel was homesickness and humidity with lack of wind. Taking a closer look at my new captor, I could detect no sign of perspiration rolling down his face or neck, in fact, he seemed relatively at ease.

Though I could tell he was expecting me to be some S ranked criminal in disguise. You're barking up the wrong tree here buddy. I can't even preform a simple jutsu, much less life threatening ones.

Soaking in my unusual surroundings and lack of sand, I assumed I was in Konohagakure. Feeling my brows knit together, a wave of uncertainty washed over me in odd angles. My mother was from here. She left as soon as priority allowed it, she had told me that even the bonds of family couldn't keep her here, that they were the reason she no longer felt this place was home.

With a renewed sense of understanding where I was actually at, I could feel my body ease from its tensed position, though my guard was still wary of Ibiki. As if sensing that I had thought of him, the man in question grabbed my oversized sweater and yanked it as his pace suddenly increased. Feeling my lips contort into a tight lipped scowl, I made sure that my skin never touched his by sinking my arm further into the caress of the fabric rather than it feel the suffocating heat of the Land of Fire.

"Let's go Gaki, I can't interrogate you until the Hokage allows it and I'd like to get this over and done with."

"Really? Because I've enjoyed our bonding time, and besides you don't look much like a people person. What else could you possibly have to do?" I heard myself snap back, all former vows of silence preceding me as Ibiki's insufferable voice wafted around my head constantly like an annoying mosquito that won't die despite how many times it's been swat.

"You're really trying my patience Gaki, what with your 'don't touch me!' and 'you have no life' comments." He ground out as we entered a large building and passed briskly by the gobsmacked secretary. Maybe it was the fact that I was practically being dragged across the floor by a person who was well past twice my age. Or maybe it was just Ibiki's menacing scowl.

"I didn't say you don't have a life. That's just what you happened to get out of it." I forced out as we began ascending a large mass of stairs that had stolen my breath before my foot even touched the first step. Not responding to my feeble attempt of an excuse, he simply pulled my sleeve harder, making me pick up my pace and lose more precious oxygen that I needed to survive.

As I was busy catching my breath, I failed to notice we- well I -was pushed into a new room with an old man sitting calmly behind a desk, Ibiki marching in behind me, and a young looking man with silver gravity defying hair who looked bored beyond belief.

"Sorry I'm a little late Hokage-sama. Gaki here took a while to move around the village at a normal pace."

Snapping my head sharply at Ibiki's apologetic expression, I felt my eyes slip into dangerous slits as he spoke of me like I wasn't really worth the effort. And his pace wasn't 'normal' either. Getting no source of acknowledgement, I moodily turned to face the old man sitting behind a desk and the gray haired guy. Both men giving me peculiar looks, I could feel my nerves shifting uneasily.

"And who might this be Ibiki?" The old man asked while pulling the worn pipe from between his lips. Sitting in a big chair, the man was dressed in white robes and a matching hat with the kanji for fire decorating its triangular shape. Was he the Hokage? I looked at the man again, noting his...elder age status over the other two people. Must be stronger than he appears, I suppose.

"Found this Gaki here in one of the training grounds having an epileptic moment or two." Ibiki answered easily while tugging my jacket sleeve roughly and pushing me forwards in the process. Stumbling easily, I found it difficult to keep my balance with the sadist nearly touching my skin.

"Would've ignored it if it wasn't for the unusual amount of chakra surging around her." He finished, showing the nonexistent concern the man had for my well being. I would have huffed in annoyance if it weren't for the way he held my sleeve, it being hoisted higher to accommodate for his height rather than my lack of. I did my best to squirm away from his touch, hoping that his tanned skin would retract further from my pale epidermis.

"Let me go!" I ground out, my arm flailing to get itself removed from Ibiki's iron grip, though my obvious attempts were futile as he simply gripped the thick fabric tighter and jerked his hand in the process. That's when it finally happened. It was bound too and unavoidable with anyone really, but the sensation was so foreign in my mind that I shred away from any and all physical contact as much as I could.

As Ibiki jerked me a bit to stop my squirming, his wrist and brushed my forearm. That contact was nearly minute, but that was all I needed for it to come.

I watched in terror as my surrounding molded and melted into a dark room with a fire burning what appeared to be a man while a young unmoving boy stared at the sight with horrified eyes. The scene changed quickly into another one, where the same boy stood smiling proudly as he wore a Hidden Leaf headband, symbolizing his progress in strength. Many other images flitted across my foresight of thing ps Ibiki had endured and the people he lost on his journey to today. It was a sad sight. Incredible and heroic even, but sorrowed nonetheless. He lost his brother, and it haunted him.

What seemed like an eternity for me was nothing but a mere few seconds to anyone else. This is something I had figured out long ago, and the feeling was claustrophobic and horrendous at best.

"I said don't touch me!" I heard my voice shout in a faraway distance Ibiki. If he was as good a ninja as his memory served, he knew damn well what had just happened. And it was incriminating for me more than anything else.

Feeling my mind slowly return to my body, the detachment ceased as I blinked several times. It was then I realized that my small frame was being restrained by the grey haired ninja as Ibiki looked stunned- and angry -but stunned altogether. The Hokage however, peered on with great interest within his deep colored eyes, and it gave me the feeling it wasn't going to be a good ending for me.

"You...you Gaki! I knew that chakra wasn't coincidental. What are you doing here?" Ibiki sneered at me with disgust written all over his face, though I couldn't bring myself to feel bothered by it as my knowing anger flared immensely. As if sensing it, the ninja holding me tightened his grip on my stomach to prevent me from charging.

Feeling the anger flow past its limit, the dial seemed to land on a maniacal level that I rarely used. There was never a need, I knew my limits and so did others in my village. W knew when to walk away. But at this moment...at this moment I wished nothing more than to smash the scarred mans face in. He knew nothing of me and I had been the one roughed around, and yet he was the one with the audacity to accuse me of harm? Of a vindictive plot for God only knows what?

So I laughed. I laughed a long and mirthless one that held nothing but the tundric temperature of my homeland. It was unnerving, even to my ears.

"You honestly believe that I voluntarily waltzed into this heat forsaken desert? If it were my choice I'd be home, not withering away of dehydration." I hissed at the interrogation expert, though I'm sure my comments offended not only him but the others in the room as well. As my words were registered, I could feel the small form of hospitality get thrown out the window as the silver haired ninja released me and Ibiki held my jacket in his hands, lifting me off the floor so my toes dangled a few inches easily.

"Who sent you? What did you just do earlier?" He hissed icily right in my face and I welcomed his frosty tone openly. I only feared physical contact and the darkness it brought me, but death? I'd had my fair share of brush ups with my newly acquired friend for awhile now and it's nicely tuned minions known as torture and despair. My new friend had destroyed my young life in less than two days, after which had toyed with me for my own end. Each time I'd somehow managed a meager escape that left me more and more broken than the last obstacle had left me. Ibiki had a lot of work to do if he really wanted me to discuss my sudden appearance.

"I told you not to touch me." I spoke lowly and dully, voice conveying nothing but sound. "I have no idea how I'm here, but I'd like to leave."

He laughed. "Not after this stunt Gaki. I have a special type of interrogation waiting for you just for speaking idly of this village." Ibiki spoke with no mercy, his expression mirroring his inner emotions of triumph and distaste. "As for that little jutsu you pulled, that's clever. But not clever enough for me not to notice. Now what did you see?" He pressed, stale breath slapping my face in colorless waves that had my head spinning.

"I only saw what you were thinking about, since the touch was so minute. Don't flatter yourself, I'm not a ninja." My voice answered swiftly with the emotion level of sub zero.

"Ibiki, if you will, please." Commanded the Hokage with absolute authority. I didn't even need to look at the old man to feel his hardened gaze resting levelly on my head as I was pulled from the room by my collar.

[][][]

It was slippery. Every time I touched someone's skin- even by accident -it was always slippery when my mind overlapped with theirs. I was three when it first happened, and I had accidentally run into a man who was leaving my fathers shop and my forehead had hit his arm. The man was a butcher and he was thinking about how to skin the pig he had just killed, it was so detailed that I had fallen over screaming for nearly thirty minutes, it was then that I had refused to touch people. It was small things at first, but the more I accidentally touched others, the more the slippery feeling became overwhelming and the more graphic peoples memories became.

By the time I was five I had isolated myself from nearly all human contact at every possibility I could and damn was I good at it.

Having a blonde man by the name of Inoichi slipping through the fabrics of my mind, searching for some unknown answer that I didn't know existed was uncomfortable at best. The same slimy sensation filled my bones as he probed around, but I knew enough to thicken the substance of my head. It was like water, swishing freely when I didn't want to use it, but thickening to a jelly substance when I needed something hidden. Having someone in my head was unsettling, I didn't go snooping on others so I'd at least like the same courtesy.

"Well...I didn't get much else besides snow, but I know enough to understand you're not a threat." Inoichi said brightly with a smile to match. I narrowed my eyes. He knew enough. Enough was more than I was comfortable with.

"What's my name?" I questioned while grabbing his wrist tightly, ignoring the drowning effect my mind toyed with.

"I don't know." All he could muster was the letter H.

"Where am I from?"

"Some place with lots of snow." The snowy landscape of my home flashed brightly before my eyes.

"Who was my mother?"

Her face was blinding; quick like lightning, there one second and gone the next in the forefront of his memory. "I don't know."

"_Liar!_" I hissed as my hand threw his wrist back with more force than necessary. "You're lying!" I shouted once more, causing Ibiki to come sauntering into the darkened interrogation room with an agitated scowl. He was no doubt annoyed by my shouting. Apparently the sound of my voice annoyed him, if you ask me I'd say my existence bothered him.

"Shut up Gaki!" He barked at my fuming form before turning to his much nicer partner. "What did you find?" I scowled as the blonde man fidgeted slightly as my gaze intensified on his forehead, which happened to be covered by the Leaf headband.

"She's fine, but I think he Hokage would like to hear what I've found."

[][][]

I didn't buy the Old Mans fake smile, he didn't trust me, and I knew it. That and the enormous amount of masked ninja lined the walls before Inoichi kindly asked them to leave in order to relay some 'important' information. I wasn't sure what he wanted to relay though.

Gruffly holding my shoulder, Ibiki didn't hide the fact that he was disappointed i wasn't an enemy, turns out my social skills had plummeted recently. I looked on as Inoichi cleared his throat and faced the Hokage, but having his back adjacent to my angle, allowing the elder man to have a clear view of me. What I'd didn't understand, was why the gray haired guy was here again.

"I assure you Hokage-sama that this girl here is no threat to the village," Inoichi started, making the Old Man smile warmly in my direction. "However I did find something rather interesting." This...now this is where the blonde was going to drop the bomb. My mother never liked this village much, and it was all her family's fault. She had told me she didn't feel the need to harm people in order to make sure our own were safe when they protected themselves just as well. She liked to heal them, to make sure that they were no longer broken and battered. That's why she left and never looked back.

"You remember Sayuri Hyuga?"

And there it is.

The Hokage looked baffled momentarily before composing his features and turning from Inoichi to me then back to Inoichi. "Yes." He started, treading carefully into the subject. "I assume she's been found?"

Inoichi laughed awkwardly while rubbing his head absentmindedly. "Heh heh...not quite. No sir, she hasn't..."

"Then why bring up her disappearance?" The elder questioned curiously. At this I let out a small snot as I shook my head at their idiocy. She disappeared alright, but it was willingly.

"Well sir, this girl here," Inoichi paused to point at me and then went back to facing his superior. "Happens to be her daughter."

Silence greeted the proclamation almost immediately. Ibiki looked as stone faced as ever, Inoichi looked uncomfortable, the Hokage gazed at me curiously while the gray haired guy just gawped at me with his visible eye widened considerably. All while I stood with a scowl in my face and my head turned from their direction and towards the blank wall.

"Well...isn't that interesting..." the Hokage murmured. Still refusing to look at any of them, all I heard was the rustling of fabric as the old man came walking towards me. Even as he stood in front if me and lowered himself a little, I refused to meet his gaze. I refused to be the one to cave.

"What is your name child?" He asked diligently, voice holding nothing but care and warmth. But I still refused to snawer his question.

"Child-"

"She left. She didn't disappear." I spoke briskly, eyes meeting his momentarily before flickering back to the wall. Crossing my arms, I switched my weight from one foot to another continuously. "She didn't like it here and always told me about the selfishness of ninja who fought for the mission and not themselves. She told me about her stupid clan and how they reveled in the power of their ocular dojustu. The way she described it...I'm not surprised she left, I would have too."

There was a short moment of silence before the Old Man broke it tentatively. "She was always a stubborn ninja."

"She wasn't just a stubborn ninja." I murmured and turned my gaze to the remaining ninja in the room. The head of interrogation appeared solemn as did his blonde partner, but the gray haired man looked devastated as he continued to stare at me. I tilted my head a bit before looking at the head of the village itself.

"You're not going to let me go home are you?"

"At the moment, I'm afraid not. We'll have a small apartment at the ready for you, but in the meantime, I would like Ibiki and Inoichi here to agree to train you in that little jutsu you seem to have."

"Hokage-sama-" Ibiki began to protest, but the elderly man simply raised his hand and gave a fleeting glare for the sadist to shut up and mumble his agreement to the newly proposed plan. After said events, the Hokage turned towards me once more.

"Now while we prepare your living quarters, Kakashi here," he stated, pointing to the grey haired ninja. "Is going to take you to the Hyuga Compound-Just for simple introductions to your relatives and such-nothing more." He rushed in towards the end as my face changed into one of anger at the mention of my mothers maiden name.

"I don't have much of a choice do I?" I questioned half heartedly.

"That's the spirit! Now follow Kakashi will you?" The elder stated dismissively, causing a scowl to flare onto my features before I turned and followed the abnormal haired ninja out the door, down a flight of stairs and out of the building completely.

The Village Hidden in the Leaves wasn't actually as horrid as the picture I had originally painted in my head, it actually looked jovial and serendipitous. It was honestly scary and nearly scarring to witness so many people smiling and laughing amongst themselves in the livid, blithering heat of the late spring. By the time we had passed a mouth watering Dango Shop in the middle of town, Kakashi had yet to even look in my direction, and it was really ticking me off.

"So are you the type to follow orders and go home or the type that actually makes it worthwhile?" I found myself saying idly as my pale eyes followed a Summoning Hawk farther up ahead of us. Walking with my hands jammed deep into my overly warm jacket, I ignored the thin sheen of sweat that covered my body as Kakashi's head whipped towards me. I'm surprised the man didn't have whiplash, though I suppose ninjas face much worse than a little kink in their neck.

"You're just like your mother." He muttered lowly, though I heard anyways. "Thanks." I said, giving him a genuine smile before I let my eyes wander back to the trail we seemed to be following.

"So are the Hyuga's as bad as my mother made them to be?"

"Yes." He answered simply, making me go from easy going to antsy in less then three seconds. "But as much as Sayuri disliked it , she acted just like them, the only difference was her attitude towards the Byakugan, she wanted to help others with it rather than it be used in battle. But she had the same goals, same motivations, same calculating attitude towards nearly everyone as the rest of her family, and I can see she managed to pass that too you."

I huffed at the mans accurate description of my mom, it was frightening actually. "That's what everyone said, but come on! If I just go on trusting everyone like dad did then I'd be dead in the snow somewhere and I wouldn't be found till late summer at the very earliest."

"You're father was a very trusting man?" Kakashi questioned softly after a brief moment of silence. I could hear the curiosity his voice held as he questioned me. His thinly veiled curiosity caused my mind to spin slightly. Show well did he know my mother?

"Yeah. He was." Was all I said as my mouth decided to close on the subject. Turning slightly, I noticed Kakashi casually held an alarm clock in his left hand. I blanched.

"Wow...nice way to keep track of time. Are you always late or something?"

"Huh?" Following my line of vision, the grey haired ninja sighed and shook his head. "It's for an exercise I'm giving my Genin squad today...well right now actually..." he paused momentarily before shrugging. "Oh well, this is an order I couldn't refuse."

An order he couldn't refuse? Rolling my eyes, I dug my hands deeper into the warm fabric I wore and ignored the sticky sensation that sweat brought to my usually cold body. I winced at a particularly hot ray of light grazed half of my body as we continued to walk further down the road.

"Congratulations...we're here." Kakashi said, pausing to hear my name, but continued when I didn't insert what he wanted to hear. Moving my gaze away from the Jonin, I let it settle on the large Clan Compound with the kanji that read 'Hyuga' in bold strokes. I scowled as a man with pale eyes and long dark hair walked out with a stern face.

Staring at me long and hard, the older man flicked his gaze to Kakashi and nodded in an unspoken greeting. Pressing my lips together into a thin line, I averted my gaze towards the apparent Compound and watched with mild interest as several people with pupil else's eyes wandered past with similar Stoney expressions.

"I received word from the Hokage just a few moments ago." The Hyuga spoke, starting off with Kakashi before switching his gaze back unto me, letting his intensity meld right in with his other unknown emotions. "Are you Sayuri's daughter?"

I snorted. Mother had spoken of her two elder brothers, Hiashi and Hisashi, how they were so alike that their differences emailed stark and raw. She told me endless times of how Hisashi hated the separation of powers amongst their clan, how he hated that just because they were born later that they were branded for life to indentured servitude.

I stopped asking of her family after her rather bitter rendition of the Hyuga Curse Mark and a quick show and tell that had my stomach twisting. I didn't want that kind if mark on me, a mark that blinded myself to another simply due to my time of birth. It sucked.

"You must be Hiashi then." I murmured with a scowl curling my features. All I wanted was to go home, where the snow freely fell and the Sun made an appearance but twice a year, not stay here where dehydration was the new trend among citizens. I wasn't looking to be a ninja, not after everything I've seen.

"She's her daughter alright, I'd love to stay and chat as you two...bond...but I'm afraid I have a group of Genin to test." Was all Kakashi said before disappearing in a cloud of smoke, leaving behind a very agitated and sweaty girl.

Turning away from the spot my escort had just stood, I faced my uncle with a blank stare, letting absolutely no emotion reach my eyes. Taking in his fancy and light robes, I noticed his hair was long and pushed back while his eyes were undoubtably clear, showing his possession of the Byakugan. He was the head of the Clan,

"Follow me." Hiashi muttered as he turned in a huff and proceeded to walk briskly into the Compound, not even bothering to turn and see if I was following. I was, but what else was I supposed to do? My knowledge of the village layout was nonexistent, and all these trees made it seem as if I was in the same place just aimlessly wandering in circles. If I was dropped in the middle of the tundra and was left to find my way home, I'd be able to do so easily, but trees...trees I wasn't used to. At all.

The inside of the compound was surprisingly geometrical. A single square was left in the center as what appeared to be a training field. Surrounding the perimeter if the square were walls that no doubt held rooms for I wouldn't even know who.

I was under the impression that was the only building in the Compound until we passed more than a handful of these buildings before reaching the biggest one, proving it was the main Branch family's sub-area. I hated to admit it, but this one was actually nicer. Slightly better, nothing too notice lie. But the differences were definitely there for anyone of lesser importance too see.

Leading me inside his home, my uncle walked gracefully past the training area that held a girl younger than me who was sparring an older gentlemen...and winning. Ignoring my abashed demeanor, my dear family member continued walking onwards and into a room that held only one table, most likely a dining room. A bleak, up hospitable dining room that seemed unfamiliar to the emotion known as happiness.

"How flamboyant of you Hiashi, truly, I'm flattered." I said sarcastically as I registered this is where he and his family ate. If it was on a daily basis, I had no idea, but I'm more than confident to say that they've all been awkward and silent meals.

He scoffed and cast a withering look my way. I simply stared back at the man with bored eyes and a raised brow.

"If you're about to question my lineage I'll save you the trouble and admit that I'm your niece." I spoke without thinking, shrugging my shoulders as an afterthought and deciding that though I sounded rude, my words were true and all I really wanted to say.

Gripping the frame of a nearby chair, Hiashi's knuckles burned white and his eyes seared with so much anger that I didn't have to look hard to see the visible veins that the Kekki Genkai caused to pot out around the eyes. My blunt statements obviously caused him to grow irritable.

"And your father? You know of him, seeing as how you look nothing like Sayuri. Who is he?" My uncle bit out from a clenched jaw, fists burning an even brighter shade of ivory. I didn't dare let an emotion flicker through my facial features as my body remained stiff and unmoving.

"It isn't any of your concern." I finally said, breaking a short douse of silence. Obviously my choice of words were the wrong ones as Hiashi's eyes suddenly drew into sheer, livid, anger.

"It isn't any of my concern?! She was my sister-"

"And she was my mother, so I'm telling you to drop it." I hissed lowly, finding myself speaking in a harsh whisper.

"She vanishes over a decade ago and out of the blue I receive a letter from the Hokage telling me she's not only dead, but has a child, I think this is my concern!" He shouted, albeit in the most dignified manner I'd seen anyone yell before. I was actually impressed, until my own anger flared.

"What do you want from me? Some sort of heartfelt apology about how horribly sorrowful I am on how her death affected you? That isn't why I'm here and to be honest, I was forced to come! With an escort and everything! Now, what do you want from me?" I shouted diligently towards my uncle and his ambivalent expressions.

I'm sure disrespecting a Village Leader, three ninjas and now a Clan Leader is against the law somewhere...

"I would like too know why she left!"

I scoffed. "I didn't ask she didn't tell. Last time I had asked was when I was seven and after seeing that brand on her forehead I decided asking was too much of a burden. Now if that's all I'm here for then I'll gladly show myself out." I snapped in aggravation while making a somewhat dramatic exit, it would've been worse if I had slammed the door behind me, and I don't need to push my luck any farther then I already have.

Scowling the entire way, I managed to make my way out of the Compound- with several scalding looks -without finding myself getting lost. It was interesting, seeing the inner walls of a childhood I never had. Not tht mine was any worse of course, it was just...unusual to see family member ps grooming their children to fight at such a young age for only the purpose of bringing honor. Not for self protection or protecting others.

But maybe things had changed since my mother had grown up here. Maybe...

[][][]

"Hey you. With the heavy jacket." A deep voice called from behind me with a barely hidden condescendence ringing behind the emotionless tone the guy had. I sighed heavily and turned around with a weary expression. It's hot, I'm in a foreign village and I've just pissed off a handful of powerful people, I think its safe to say that I should just find where I'm supposed tom be sleeping.

"I heard your little discussion with my uncle or rather, our uncle." He started in a flat tone and glaring with his hauntingly pale eyes. Pale pupil less eyes that had a soft lilac hue. Assessing his stiff posture and Leaf Headband hanging proudly on his forehead, I knew he was at least a Genin. With his bandaged hands in his pockets he stood with an air that let anyone know he felt superior.

Straightening my head I shot the guy a smirk. "So I take it you're Hisashi's son." It wasn't a question, his features showed as much. And judging by his own smirk, he knew who I was as well. Cocky.

"Neji Hyuga. I take it you're Sayuri's daughter."

I huffed at his arrogance and looked skywards before answering his implied question. "Hikari, my name's Hikari. I'd accuse you of eavesdropping, but my conversation with Uncle wasn't exactly quiet now was it?" I finished with a light chuckle.

"I'm surprised you even bothered to rile him up. Topics like that don't generally get a reaction from him." He murmured as he turned around, not bothering to cast me another look. Glaring at the easy dismissal of my dear cousin, I balled my fists together.

I heard the swish of the weapon before I had seen it even heading my way. Watching in what felt like slow motion as the single shuriken headed straight towards my stomach, my body automatically readied itself to deflect the attack. As it neared closer, I moved two paces to the right and moved my arm out, hand easily gripping the throwing star into a halt.

For a moment all I could do was stare blankly at the sharp weapon in my hand. That was before the anger settled in pretty quickly. He threw a shuriken at me. We hadn't known each other for more than five minutes and he freaking threw a _shuriken_ at me.

Tightening my hold on the weapon, I looked up at Neji's retreating form and glared. He's a ninja so lets see if he can dodge. Taking the proper stance, I outstretched my arms and swiftly threw the shuriken, smirking as it sailed closer and closer towards his back.

Just as it was to graze his back, Neji turned with a smirk and caught his own weapon expertly with a smirk and a shake of his head.

"I'll see you tomorrow at the Training Grounds. Be there by dawn and don't be late." Was all he said before jumping and disappearing into the canopy of the trees. I stared dumbfounded at the spot my cousin had stood with a mixture of shock and fury.

What if I didn't want to be a ninja?!

"What the hell was that?!" I shouted in frustration, causing several birds to fly off their nearby branches. I still pouted anyway while stomping off into the confusing town.

_**Third POV**_

Standing in the Third Hokage's office for the third time in one day, the Head of the Torture and Interrogation Department was not happy. Standing quietly, his clenched fists were the only indication of the emotions that weighed on his mind.

Annoyed. The man was extremely annoyed. Annoyed at the small little girl they had found shortly after dawn, annoyed at the fact he was ordered to train said Gaki, and— most of all —annoyed at Inoichi and Anko's incessant teasing about training the puny little brat.

Chuckling almost I perceivably next to Ibiki, the Yamanaka did well to hide his laughter as Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the both of them with an unnaturally blank stare, awaiting the news that caused the T&I specialists to make yet another up scheduled visit to his domain.

"According to what Kakashi said—"

"And what I saw." Ibiki cut in gruffly to which Inoichi cast a scalding look before facing the village leader and continuing further.

"The meeting with Hiashi and Sayuri's daughter didn't last long and wasn't very civilized—"

"The Gaki got him to start yelling a few seconds after they had just started speaking." Ibiki interrupted again, uncaring as his partner shot yet another heated glare. The blonde huffed and continued with a small irk mark forming on his forehead.

"And she stormed out of the Compound, but Neji Hyuga heard the squabble—"

"_Everyone_ heard the '_squabble_'."

"And seemed to be testing her abilities. He provoked her and walked away before throwing a small shuriken at the girl. She managed to catch it a sent it back with a rather impressive accuracy—"

"It was crude at best. The Gaki is clearly a novice." Inoichi sent out a sharp burst of air as his face turned a slight shade of red, clearly agitated at being interrupted.

"...Apparently she passed the test seeing as how Neji will begin training her in the morning."

Silence passed as the Hokage contemplated the situation that had unfolded in a matter of hours. Sighing, the man raised his eyes back to the two specialists who were glaring comically at each other, not daring to yell in front of the respectable man before them. Hiruzen carefully hid his smile behind his clasped hands.

"Well that takes quite a bit off of your plates then, seeing as how she'll learn the basics from him. Thank you for your update. You are dismissed."

As soon as the two partners were in the hallway, the sound of inoichi's loud yelling for interrupting and his cry of pain from getting hit was heard. The Sarutobi smiled and chuckled freely at their antics.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Okay WOW. I really didn't think that this idea would get any feedback AT ALL. (And I'm sure it's only because I listed Naruto as a character but whatever.) But thank you for reviewing and favoriting and following and reading! Even though I don't get the difference from a favorite and a follow I really do appreciate it.**_

**_So as I changed it in the summary, this is an eventual Naruto x OC so i thought I'd mention that now rather than much much later. I don't like telling who my characters end up with but I was just like "I think Naruto deserves love that isn't from Sakura or Hinata." And thus this idea was born!_**

**_I have no idea how this is going to go because I didn't really plan it through thoroughly and it isn't that long…But enough ranting — the next chapter!_**

_Chapter Two: Implemented Torture— I Mean —…Bonding Time_

I grumbled moodily as the particularly loud and _annoying_ alarm clock rang on for a few minutes before I bothered to throw it across the room in anger. I wouldn't miss it anyway. Getting sluggishly out of bed and getting dressed, I could barely keep my eyes open as my feet moved robotically around my new apartment. It was more of two big rooms separated by a hall.

I really shouldn't be criticizing my living arrangements. I could be wallowing up in a deep dank airless and humid hole somewhere off the sides of this Village.

I scowled involuntarily the closer and closer I got to leaving my '_home_' and doing my best to find the stupid Training Grounds Neji was talking about yesterday. Just thinking of that guys name caused my scowl to deepen and a mangled cry that faintly resembled a human, to escape from my lips.

Why at dawn?! Why the hell would I want to train at dawn? I paused. Why the hell was I going to train at all? For some stupid '_family honor_'? I chuckled darkly at my unamused thinkings. Family honor for the Hyuga Clan meant to be prestigious in whatever it is you can do, even breathing. Apparently you can breathe better than others with a constipated look etched unto your face.

"You're late."

Stating an obvious fact that subtly undermined my intelligence, my dear cousin proceeded to glare at me until an emotion flickered over my features. It didn't take long for my agitation to creep in. It didn't take long _at all_.

"One hundred push-ups."

"What?" I found myself hissing. What in the actual heck? Matching my scowl with his, I set my feet firmly into a stance that showed I wasn't about to move for anything.

"You're a Hyuga—" his glare intensified as my mouth opened to protest, but shut promptly at the spike of chakra that flared from the guy. "And I don't care how many times you refuse your lineage. Even if it's just half. You. Are. A. Hyuga. And as such you will conduct yourself as one."

Neji paused in his rant and pacing to spare my clenched fists and face flushed bright red with anger, before shooting a smug little smirk. Trademark attitude that made my teeth grind.

"Or at least...as much s someone like _you_ can possibly do."

"What is that supposed to mean?!" I bit out with thinly veiled fury. I was being prodded and ridiculed by so called '_family_' about my inability for '_family image_'. Who does that crap?

"It means you haven't done your push-ups yet." He shot in an icy manner, causing my anger to flare, but I bent down into the odd position despite my disdain to do so. I could feel him wanting to add on another hundred if I didn't shut up and do as I was told. What an egocentric—

"Ow! What is…get off of me dammit!" I cried as his heavy weight was brutally dumped upon my back. If I listened, I could hear the small cracks and pops the added mass and impact force caused to reverberate within my small frame. (Physics is actually being applied in what I like to do…I guess it isn't _entirely_ useless…stupid science.)

I heard Neji scoff in annoyance. "I'll get off once your push-ups are complete. Until then, you'll just have to suck it up." He said nonchalantly as the small amount of weight he was supporting dropped onto me, causing my limbs to flatten out on the dry, cracked dirt and grass. I looked like a starfish and could barely move my arms under me, much less push myself _up_.

"I don't hear you counting."

Setting my jaw, grinding teeth deafening to my ears, I attempted— and many times I might add —to lift myself off the ground into the starting position. After many, many…_many_ failed attempts, my body had finally cooperated to my brains demands and was at the proper stance. A shaky and very weak stance, but what I was aiming for.

Staring at the crusted and cracked dirt right below me, my eyes fixated on a small patch of grass as my limbs shook violently, trying to support Neji's weight. I bit my lip as sweat slipped down my face in smooth, clear lines, leaving new drops of water on the ground under me.

I want to die.

Biting my lip, I bent my arms slightly but elongated them as a sharp pain stung through the joints in my elbows. I had nearly locked them from being in similar positions for awhile. Vision and body shaking and small rivers of sweat pooling down my face, down my neck and various other places, I dove for my second attempt at a '_proper_' push-up and nearly cried from the loud pops of several bones and strain on my weak joints.

Muttering an inaudible 'one' under my breath, I tried my best to ignore that flaring pain that shot up my arms and ankles before pushing myself back up. _Trying_ to push myself back up. I was stopped by Neji adding more weight, causing my face to literally eat dirt.

"I didn't quite catch that."

"One! I said one!" I shouted heatedly, my face no doubt a bright shade of scarlet.

Lifting up some weight, I went back to attempting another push-up without dying of dehydration and muscle strain.

Maybe I'd get a heat stroke.

If I'm lucky.

[][][]

"Congratulations. You've successfully wasted three hours."

Wheezing heavily in an unusual sprawled out position, I couldn't muster a glare if I wanted. All I could feel was the deep pulsating pain that pumped throughout my limbs. Looks are deceiving, and man was Neji's weight deceiving.

"Oh aren't you…just full of it today?" I heaved through my deep labored breathing.

"You're weak and I'm doing you the favor of fixing it. Now get up, I want to see your aim." Neji spoke bluntly, evading the small lie to soften the blow. He just went straight to the point and flat out insulted me. How nice of my dear cousin.

Silently cursing the dude, I stiffly stood up and wobbled my way towards Neji from foot to foot on unsteady legs. I'm going to be sore tomorrow. Making my way over, I glared as he '_accidentally_' dropped the kunai and made no move to pick it up.

Once it was firmly in my hands, I flung it soundlessly, watching as it hit the center of the target set up on the tree several yards before me. I smirked. I may not be strong, but I could use any weapon I happened to stumble upon. Dad made sure too teach me that skill by making me practice my aim with what ever tool he managed to find. He found way too many of them.

"At least you aren't completely useless. You just skipped that lesson. Next is the transformation jutsu. Now give it your best shot."

I stared at him blankly with my arms dangling lifelessly at my sides. I have to use…chakra? No can do.

"I don't know any hand signs." I paused after a moment before adding another important tidbit. "And I have no idea on how to use my chakra. If I even have any at least."

He groaned in frustration before shaking his head, sighing, and facing me with a stony expression. "And just when I thought we were getting somewhere, you don't even know the bare basics."

I couldn't help the frosty glare I shot him. All I knew were the basic taijutsu katas and how to throw things, other than that I was blissfully ignorant.

And I've yet to have a heat stroke with this stupid jacket still on.

[][][]

"Training time is over Gaki. Get off the floor because I'm not waiting an hour for you to move." A gruff voice spoke from across the Training Grounds. After saying he had to train with his Squad at noon, Neji had left easily, leaving me half unconscious on the floor.

"Oh joy. It's you again."

"Get up!" Ibiki yelled, irritation revealing itself quickly as he stalked over to my fallen figure and yanking me to my feet by the over stuffed sleeves of my jacket. Grunting in pain, I couldn't even muster up my signature '_don't touch me_' statement.

"Listen and listen up good Gaki!" Ibiki yelled straight in my face, allowing me to see his veins bulging in aggravation. "I am only teaching you by default, meaning the Hokage's direct orders. I will teach you nothing more and nothing less, so don't be disappointed or pouting."

Eyeing him skeptically, I opened my mouth slightly before Ibiki continued yelling.

"And I don't want any interruptions! I'll only say this once so pay close attention! I've made arrangements with Inoichi to help with your inability to use your jutsu correctly. Every day from midday to dusk we'll be working with you until you've managed to create _something_. And you better believe we will be testing your speed and stamina that Neji is training you."

Gaping for several seconds, all that wandered through my brain was; I'm never going to sleep again am I? Before I could respond, my apparent 'sensei' raised his hand with a simple hand seal and transported us to wherever he worked in interrogating people into insanity.

"Took you two long enough." A passive voice chimed from a corner in the dark room I had seen on,y yesterday. Great memories.

"We're here." Ibiki snapped. "Alright Gaki, the basic rules of Espionage are simple. Don't reveal any information that you happen to have, even if it's wrong. Wrong information can mean death. Getting caught can also mean death. Got it?"

I blinked twice as I stood unsteadily on my feet, exhausted from Neji's training techniques. "Why are you informing me about Espionage when I'm supposed to learn something totally different?" I questioned wearily, dismissing the urge to yawn.

"Because the jutsu we need to improve falls under the category of Espionage." Inoichi intercepted, before Ibiki could scream at me for interrupting his so called explanation. Staring at my swaying form intently, the blonde rested his chin in his hand as a thinking gesture. "But I don't understand how you did it…I can't sense any chakra from you at all…" he murmured quietly with concentration etched onto his features.

"Let's see, can you preform an Academy Level Transformation Jutsu?" Sighing inaudibly, I nodded weakly and moved through the newly memorized hand seals sluggishly.

"Dog, Boar, Tiger." I found myself murmuring the names of each seal, ensuring I was actually doing it right rather than guessing. Neji had hit me the first time I did that, and it wasn't gently either. Feeling nothing move within me, the end result was similar to my earlier training session. Absolutely no movement in my chakra.

"You've got to be kidding me! You can barely remember the seals and can't use your chakra at all?!" Ibiki shouted, causing me to wince slightly at the ringing his voice left reverberating inside my ears.

"I'm not a ninja remember?! I never went to the Academy and I never learnt any of these things! You know what I was taught? How to hunt and track animals in the middle of dead winter! So forgive me if this seems a bit too complicated!" I screamed back at the sour man.

Looking back and forth between Ibiki and I's glaring match, I heard Inoichi sigh before stepping in between us with an exasperated look on his face. Raising his hands in attempt to both catch our attention and show he wasn't on either side of the argument, he turned to Ibiki first.

"Alright Ibiki, go cool off in the corner or something. What Hikari needs right now is patience seeing as how she can't really access her chakra on her own. And we all know your patience is very limited."

Huffing, but showing no other means of disagreement, the head of the Torture and Interrogation Department stalked off without a second glance. Leaving me with a defeated aura and Inoichi with a fatherly one.

"Alright kiddo. Let's see how we can do this." The blonde started with a bright smile that didn't look like it would be faltering anytime soon. I scrutinized his movements carefully as he stared intently at the wall behind me, making it seem like he was staring at the top of my head.

"You have a kid don't you? You're way too nice and don't get mad that easily." I spoke, bringing his gaze onto my empty one. His laugh was forced and uncomfortable as he gave his first overly fake smile.

"Is it that noticeable?" I nodded boredly, enjoying his discomfort all the while. "My daughter's twelve…about your age." He started, waiting for some sort of reaction that confirmed his suspicions. He was right, but he didn't need to know that. "Anyway, she's a bit of a handful so my wife and I had to gather patience rather quickly to deal with it."

I nodded slowly at his calculating eyes, making sure that my face remained blank of any emotion. Attachment came with a price I wasn't willing to deal with. I don't need to make friends and familial bonds and end up staying here. Konoha isn't my home and it isn't going to end up being my home any time soon. I have my _real_ home to head off too and having obligations here isn't going to help with any type of departure.

"Alright Hikari! Let's start off your training shall we?" Inoichi suddenly said, breaking me out of my inner turmoil and causing my body to automatically take a step back. The blonde stared at me with suspicion, but continued nonetheless.

"Now what you did yesterday on Ibiki clearly needed chakra, but I can't sense anything at all from you, and that's not possible. So, my theory is that you're cloaking your chakra as a hidden infiltrator towards the Village." Inoichi started, making my heart escalate at the underlying threat in his tone as he continued. "Or your chakra spikes on its own, and if that's true than it does so when you feel threatened. So which is it?"

I glared at the man with as much venom as I could muster. "We've gone over this already. The second one."

Waving me off with the flick of his wrist, Inoichi continued on as if I hadn't spoken as coldly as the Land of Snow. Smiling a little too innocently, I watched as he spoke, his body tensing as if readying to pounce. "Well seeing as how it's the second option then, we have to put you in a threatening situation to spike that unusual chakra of yours."

Before I could send the guy a confused look, I was watching as several weapons were thrown towards my general area, not really aiming directly at me in particular. However, with my weakened physical state due to this mornings dear little 'work out' with Neji, I was sluggish in dodging and received multiple cuts and gashes.

Biting back my words as pain swept into my system, I glared at Inoichi's puzzled expression that seemed to be glued to my blood on the floor.

"Your blood is—"

"I'm aware of what's wrong with my blood." I snapped at the gawping man. I could feel my fresh wounds through the now ripped burgundy jacket I wore. I could feel as they oozed and dripped down my arms and legs, it's unusual color shining brightly in my eyes.

Tearing his gaze away from my splattered fluid, the blonde moved towards me quicker than I could react, doing his best to make sure I wasn't losing too much blood. It wasn't until his hands caught each wrist in a firm hold that I felt something stir from deep within me. Old memories flashed painfully before my eyes as my body reacted on its own, struggling violently against Inoichi's hold.

He touched me, and it felt claustrophobic.

As I struggled and the walls seemed to close in on me while my blood continued to flow freely from my body, I felt something spiral from my stomach at an unusual rate, racing through my system and flowing to my head. The feeling this rush of adrenaline, or panic…whatever it was…was unlike anything I've ever truly felt. It was foreign. It was slippery. It was horrifyingly comforting.

Feeling the rush to my head, I felt the slimy (or slimey?) sensation that I feared more than anything else return. As my mind intermixed with another, my throat felt dry and my stomach knotted as my body seemed to convulse in pure terror.

With this new sensation came the images I didn't want to see. My conscience swam within Inoichi's involuntarily with a renewed vigor that allowed it to move more swiftly and quietly. Though it was still noticeable. I saw silently as his memories shot by in a blur and as my own energy molded something into a gap that his recollection left.

I knew I was doing it, but I don't know how. I watched silently as my mind painted a picture of this room and a girl was strapped to the chair I was yesterday. She had long blonde hair like Inoichi's that was tied, and her eyes were frantic and flicking every which way, searching for a form of escape. The more I seemed to stare at the girl, the more noticeable the bruises and scratches on her body seemed to become.

She looked as if she had been poked and prodded beyond belief, hit and cut on numerous accounts for an answer either she didn't know, or she wouldn't give up. As her image became more clear, her head swung my way and I hid my gasp at the numerous gashes she held onto the other side of her head. Her dark blue pupil less eyes stared back at me blankly as a bitter smile curled on her cracked lips.

"I told you not to touch me." She murmured quietly. Though in the empty room, her voice carried through with much more force and echo.

As her words cleared away, so did the image. My mind separated from Inoichi's quickly and cleanly, leaving the slippery sensation to a minimum and the energy I felt numbing down into nothing, but if I concentrated hard enough I could feel it again.

Inoichi's hands left my wrists as soon as the image I had conjured disappeared. With the physical contact now gone, so was my mind in his; invading and scrounging scraps and pieces of whatever he happened to be thinking of, of whatever happened to be troubling him.

Arms now freed, my vision returned in a blurred format, leaving my sense of claustrophobia to rise infinitely higher as I fell to the floor— rather ungracefully —and crawled on my hands a feet to the closest wall to me.

Putting my back to the wall, my arms instinctively curled around my knees as I held myself in what I can only describe as a comforting position that enclosed me from the rest of the world. That enclosed me from physical contact.

Burying my face deep into my curled arms, I did my best to hold back the tears that threatened to fall as my body shook violently against my will. I hated this. I hated being touched, no matter how small the contact is, this happens to anyone. And I hate it.

"So I take it you touched the Gaki?" A deep voice questioned from across the room. Looking up from the comfort of my own arms, Ibiki glanced at the frazzled state of Inoichi warily before turning and searching the room for me.

When his eyes landed on my crumpled and writhing form in the corner, I saw something in his face that I hadn't seen before. I don't know if it was the fact that I had started crying and hiccuping or the fact that I was breaking down in the corner while my other 'sensei' was on the opposite end looking just as petrified as me.

I don't know what it was, but for the first time since I had met Ibiki, I saw genuine worry on his features as he stared at the both of us on the floor, my blood that matched my jacket separating the room in half. Separating horror and terror.

"What happened?" Ibiki asked, his voice going somewhat kinder as his gaze switched from me to Inoichi and back again. All I could do was shake my head and place it back in my arms as I muffled my cries of agony, cries of discomfort and torture.

"She…" the blondes voice spoke throughout the silence, showcasing his shock and grief. "She definitely unlocked her chakra…"

As the two men conversed, all I could do was wallow in my own pity and muffle my sobs as my body shook involuntarily. This is why I didn't want to be a ninja.

Life isn't ever fair, is it?

[][][]

Lying in my bed, I couldn't bring myself to remember how I got there. My clothes were still on, cut up, and bloody and my body was exhausted. Yet my mind was blank. It was numbed to the point I could hardly think. I suppose that's a good thing.

Staring at the ceiling with an empty gaze, my right arm lay lazily on my stomach while the other curled under the pillow that supported my head. I was extremely warm in this weather, but I just couldn't bring myself to move. I couldn't bring myself to change, to look in the mirror. To _remember_.

As the night hours ticked by silently, the moon finally reached its highest point and the cold air settled in. My eyes now burning from its constant view of a blank wall and my limbs stiff and sore, I finally made myself sit up and get off the bed.

Walking around like an animated corpse within a place that didn't feel like mine…it wasn't comforting, and I needed comfort. Anything at this point would be better than looking at bare walls that once belonged to someone else.

Going into the bathroom, I wet a cloth and cleaned the now healing wounds gently, ignoring the new pulsating sensation that my chakra now caused. Wringing the stained cloth in the sink, my gaze caught the reflection I cast. My pale blue eyes revealed nothing within them, like any happiness was never there to begin with. I remembered the days when they were filled to the brim with that emotion, and now it was fleeting at its best.

My light brown hair was in disarray and stuck out in any which angle it pleased while my mouth was pressed in a thin line. Dark purple circles sagged below my translucent gaze that displayed just how much I'd bothered to sleep. As my hands released the dirtied cloth, they managed to make their way into my unkempt hair and tame it through a loosely made braid that fell unaccordingly.

Turning away from the shell of my former self, I found myself sitting in my bed once more, wearing fresh clothes and staring at the photo I guarded safely within that stupid jacket of mine. I stared at the picture of my parents after they had met and moved to what I called home.

After they renounced their ways of a ninja and moved to the Land of Snow.

The tears came without warning and to be honest, I didn't bother wiping them away as my gaze stayed burning on my mother and father. My mother with her eerie lilac eyes and dark hair with an expression of distrust replaced for the rare smile that could make Ibiki smile. My father with his pale blue eyes and hair a striking light blonde and his usual smile that seemed to light up any room. They were so different and yet they were happy with each other. And they were gone.

My tears had dried up by the time I fell asleep, but the photo never left my hands.

**_Review and let me know what you think so far? Please? :)_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_I'm really glad you guys liked the last chapter. every time I start a story I have a hard time with staying in the proper tense, making sure my characters are developed and not all Mary Sue, and I'm always indecisive with First POV or Third POV, so please bare with me until I figure out this story's pattern with how I write because I'm naturally sarcastic and sometimes with situations I make, the character is supposed to be quiet and blah blah blah. So sorry if my writing isn't consistent._**

**_FUN FACT: I don't write chapters out all in one go, I write whenever an idea comes and stop when I'm stuck, which is why I take awhile to upload (and lack of wifi) and I'm always scared that it's really obvious in the final product. D: /o\_**

**_I'm writing as I go, so there's not really a definite problem for my character like in my Harry Potter fanfic, but I think I developed one here so I hope you guys like it (though it's minor) This A/N has been really long and I'm sorry and I hope you like this chapter! Sorry if it's short!_**

_Chapter Three: Intellectual Disguises— I mean —…Information Gathering _

"Well that was relatively surprising. You've grown with your inability to use chakra, I'll say that at least."

Panting with my hands planted firmly on my knees to steady my wobbly stance, I ignored Neji's snide remark about my lack of skill and focused on breathing evenly. This morning had been particularly grueling with the guy doubling nearly every warm up exercise then having me train with pressure points. It sounds innocent enough, but I personally figured out where each pressure point was by having Neji hit each one. Apparently it was also _'taijutsu practice'_. How convenient.

"Shut up would you?" I wheezed out, doing my best to stand still in order it avoid the massive cramp on my side that's just waiting to come out.

He rolled his eyes in annoyance at my response before walking over to my curled stature and did the liberty of pulling me up. I suppose it was as nice a gesture he could muster, but the pangs coursing through my muscles would protest greatly.

Clutching my side with a forceful grip that seemed to halt the writhing pain, I shook my head and sat on a nearby bolder. "Standing isn't working that well right now for me." I muttered as I got comfortable enough that I could release my cramping muscles.

Shaking his head at my _'antics'_ as he's dubbed them, Neji crossed his arms and leaned against a tree and stared off into the brush of the forest before us. He did that a lot whenever training had ended short or he needed to think over something I'd said or did that confused him. The idiot was surprisingly easy to read once you got past his egotistical attitude.

"It's been a month you know."

I smirked. "I know. Shocked I haven't left yet?"

He scoffed audibly and cast me a disbelieving glance. "You'd die if you left. You can barely fallow a path in the forest without getting lost." I laughed silently at his accurate depiction of my sense of direction within those damned forests.

As the silence stretched, so did my mind. Figuratively of course. It'd been a full month since I had ended up here in Konohagakure against my will. I'd be lying if I said that I felt obligated to stay, but I'd also be lying if I said I didn't care about anyone here in this sauna. Neji was still an ass but he was also honest, no matter how brutal it sounded, he still said it freely.

He had upped my training since my first day, saying it was pathetic that an Academy Student could beat me without breaking into a sweat. It was times like that that I actually did hit him in our taijutsu spars. He wasn't too pleased and stopped holding back, which eventually helped my speed and agility to dodge physical attacks. It also left a lot of bruises.

After I had gotten _a lot_ better at the basics, he decided to teach me the Hyuga Clan's fighting style that combined taijutsu and ninjutsu and the Byakugan, the way he described it, it sounded so easy to pick up and learn. I was so wrong.

Having the precise amount of chakra in my hands to hit pressure points was more than difficult. Every time I managed to make it flow down directly to my hands, the consistency wasn't right. It needed to be smooth and accurate like Neji's. Mine, however, was definitely _not_. It was jagged and too bumpy to be used in a short and quick burst to a particular area.

I had a long way to go, and I refused to suck at something that Neji made seem so easy.

"Alright Baka, I have training and I'm sure your other sensei's would like to help your weak progress get better."

And with that dear cousin Neji left me sitting on a rock listening to the tumble of thoughts that flowed freely throughout my head.

Things really haven't changed much.

[][][]

"I'm proud of you kid, it's been two weeks since your last episode and your holding up pretty strong." Inoichi commented idly while slapping my shoulder and walking away with his stupid goofy smile in place.

Scowling at the pain he caused my shoulder, my glare intensified as a small muscle spasm occurred within the area that had just been touched, leaving it to twitch violently on its own.

"Remind me why I bother with you again?" I muttered, still glaring at the jovial blonde who sat peacefully in the corner, sipping his stupid tea his kid brewed for him. His nonchalant demeanor about my phobia made the anger within me simmer, until Ibiki _'accidentally'_ knocked over said man's tea.

"Hey! I—"

"Pipe down Inoichi, today's a special day remember?" The elder of the two questioned smugly, smirking in his sadist glee as the blonde appeared dumbfounded for a moment before the light of recognition gleamed brightly in his features, showcasing his remembrance for whatever day Ibiki was referring too.

As the two exchanged in their own conversation of minute gestures and nods; my mouth opened and words came before I registered what was even happening, my mind still fogged by Neji's trivial exercises and odd behavior over the past week.

"What's today? The day you two finally get rid of me or what?"

"Actually it is. _Finally_." Ibiki said, answering bluntly and honestly before Inoichi was able to sugar coat the truth. It was harsh, but I actually preferred Ibiki's sour and hurtful display of things, it proved his word as a man. And a man only really has their word. That's a lesson father did well to teach me. Not that Inoichi wasn't trusted, it's just…he would soften the blow before actually delivering it. _That_ was what I couldn't handle.

"What he _really_ means, is that today is the last _ordered_ day of your training." The blonde rushed in, casting his wide smile that was meant to reassure me. I held back a small smile at his antics, he really was a nice person. Though at my puzzled expression, he continued to explain.

"When you first got here the Hokage ordered us to train you in your jutsu, and while that has gotten better, it's a far cry from mastered. And after the mission report we sent a few days ago, he's agreed that while the preliminary time restraint to observe your real reasons for entering the Village has proved your innocence, it's time to reach a decision."

All I did was gawp. A lot of words, a lot of information, and fifteen seconds to process. Was this another test or something? To see what information I could me gather in a short time period and actually retain it? Was it because I failed the last one Ibiki gave?

And then Inoichi's words sunk in, leaving my confusion to fade away into annoyance.

"All this time you two were ordered to decide my allegiance to this Village? Or just to see if I was to infiltrate it as an enemy spy?"

"The second. We know you're nowhere near loyal enough to this Village to make any type of commitment anyways." Ibiki answered quickly, making sure his snide attitude was well rubbed into his words, allowing my anger to flare considerably.

It was stupid of me and I knew what he was doing, trying to make me stay in the Village as a ninja even though I would leave the first chance I got. But the fact that he called out my values, my morals, my _integrity_ was what led me straight into the palm of his hands.

"What's that supposed to mean? You think I can't handle being a ninja here?" I snapped, full anger being showcased in each and every word that was said. Even when I saw Ibiki's smirk and Inoichi drop his head in shame, I knew I had said just what they wanted me too.

"No. I don't. You don't have the allegiance we need." The scarred man paused, circling me slowly as if sizing up my potential skill for fighting and training. "Actually, you don't have the skill and control either." He added in lastly just to spite my already angered state. Sadly…it worked. And damn did it work well.

I guess he assumed that I'd have just stayed still like I normally did when he was condescending and brutal towards me in his opinions. I stood stock still for a total of twenty four seconds, staring straight ahead as he simply stood nearby idly with his hands jammed deep in his trench coat pockets. After he seemed calm enough, and my anger had reached its highest boiling point, my body moved quickly and swiftly.

I know that someone with nearly zero fighting experience shouldn't be able to land a hit on a highly skilled Jonin, and I'm not saying my punch was _good_, but it all had to do with timing. If I waited long enough for Ibiki to completely drop his guard by thinking I'd simmered down, and if I moved fast enough I'd be able to hit him good enough to relieve my anger and make sure it was well received.

His face was priceless, but I wasn't stupid enough to stick around for his yelling and flailing arms.

So I left quickly.

[][][]

Rifling through my small pile of clothes that littered the floor of my room, I sighed in anger as I saw my still ripped burgundy coat that kept me warm in the dead of winter. I blamed Inoichi for those rips in my fluffy padding. The only good thing about not being able to wear it was that I felt a lot cooler in Konoha's insufferable heat.

Having only plain colored short sleeved shirts that didn't help my anxiety about being touched, I made Neji get me a long sleeved shirt from one of the town shops. The one I ended up getting was black and only slightly loose with a fishnet material that went from my collarbone and down maybe three centimeters, so it wasn't anything I was uncomfortable with.

Still wearing my black pants and switching winter boots for sandals, I sighed again at the realization that I'd have to wear different more permanent clothing if I were to actually stay longer. Staring at the ripped heavy weight coat and short sleeved shirts, my stomach dropped at the sight. I'd need to get clothes like…soon.

Walking out my apartment with a scowl planted firmly on my face, I reached in my pocket, making sure that the allotted money was actually there and not mysteriously gone. With the sullen knowledge I'd have to have real human interaction, my agitation seeped rapidly into a sullen state as I locked my door shut and preceded to walk down the long open corridor.

At least until I was slammed down onto the floor my something oddly heavy.

"Ow…" I mumbled weakly as the pressure on my back was fully dropped, leaving me flattened out like a splattered starfish that couldn't move. It's like my first day of training with Neji all over again, except this person is groaning in pain too. Well good, at least their hurt.

"Hey…could you get off of me please?" I heard myself say, though with my face digging into the floor, the words sounded very muffled and incoherent.

"Huh?" The voice of the person questioned, sounding a lot more like a guy than a girl. As he continued groaning in pain and _still_ not getting off of me, my short temper resurfaced again.

"Dammit get off! You're heavy!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He shouted, scrambling to stand up and let me breath. As soon as his weight was lifted, I sighed and rolled over onto my back, enjoying for a moment that I wasn't suffocating anymore. Then my eyes caught sight of the boy who'd rammed into my back and toppled us both over. Messy blonde hair, deep blue eyes, whisker marks on tanned cheeks and a whole lot of orange stared back at me dumbly as I lay on the floor, probably glaring at the guy the longer I looked.

"I'm really _really_ sorry! I woke up late and I have a mission and—I'm sorry! Here, let me help you." He said, stumbling over his words the longer he spoke, finally ending with an outstretched hand to offer me assistance.

Staring at his hand with mistrust, I opted to grab his arm since his wrist was well exposed. Pulling me up with more strength than I gave him credit for, I was standing up straight in a few seconds, casting him a dubious expression. He looks oddly peculiar, I haven't seen him before. And I can't remember seeing an orange boy running around.

Catching glimpse of a small flash of metal in his hand, I flicked my gaze over to a door farther down the hall, which happened to be next to mine. I blinked once. Twice. He was my neighbor? How did I miss _that_? My eye twitched in annoyance, so much for my training progressing with Ibiki and Inoichi.

"What are you staring at? Aren't you late for a mission?" I snapped, my irritation for wasting time being thrown into my voice and stance. I was antsy to be in a crowded area and the faster I got it over with the faster I could make my meeting with the Hokage.

Staring at me for a few seconds, his eyes widened considerably as my words sunk into his head. "My mission! That's right! I gotta go! Sorry for running into you again!" He shouted as ran down the corridor and down the stairs, disappearing from my sight completely.

Shaking my head, ridding my head of the guy, I followed his path down the corridor, down the stairs, and out into the street, making my way into the busier part of the Village. As I walked and stared intently at the gravel led path, I briefly remembered Kakashi. I hadn't seen him since my first day here when I was forced into talking to dear Uncle Hiashi.

He said he had to test some kids or something, that's why he was carrying around that stupidly big clock. I could feel my features contort into confusion. Why would a Sensei test his students with a _clock_? All my teachers— Neji included —tested me with practical means, like throwing weapons at me…and…throwing weapons at me…

While I mulled over how violent people were, I had managed to make my way into the center of the hustle that floated around the shops of food, clothing and weapons. Despite my lack of enthusiasm towards human contact, my eyes widened in wonder at how many different shops this place had, and how much people there were that just wandered aimlessly around, not really knowing each other but greeting like they did.

I believe they call this a culture shock. And perhaps I'm in the process of one, but damn the eclectic scents of food were enough to shush my antsy nature.

[][][]

In my bathroom staring at myself in a different colors and lighter clothes, I couldn't help but bug out a little. I always wore burgundy, and now it wasn't there. When I was four and cut my leg on jagged ice I'd slipped on while playing a game with my friends, I'd seen my blood for the first time and it was petrifying. I'd seen other kids fall and scrape their knees and when the red liquid flowed, I'd grown used to it.

So when I'd finally fallen hard enough to draw blood, I cried in terror when a burgundy substance oozed out instead of the standard and _natural_ red. Dad had been the one to calm me down, showing me that his blood was just the same and saying it wasn't anyone's fault, it was just in his family lineage.

I'd worn a burgundy coat ever since, familiarizing myself with the color in case I were to see it oozing out of me again, and I wouldn't be so shocked at its differences from everyone else's.

Now I stood wearing a blue short sleeved sweater, tan pants and a black long sleeved under shirt that melded into fingerless gloves. It was just strange to see, and it wasn't like I didn't look for the odd shade of violet, the clothing just escaped me to find it by refusing to show its color at all.

The longer I stared at the new sweater, the more I recognized the color. With a deep blue— nearly black —hood and light tan dangling strings to adjust it, the rest of the fabric was a familiar blue, though I couldn't place it. It was much darker than my pale eyes, but lighter than the standardized blue. I'd seen this color before, like I'd stared at it in someone or something…I just couldn't place it.

Shaking my head at my wandering thoughts towards a pair of eyes I couldn't place, my hair managed to flop around the sides of my face and another, shorter piece, fall just between my eyes. Sighing in frustration, I pushed my side braid off my shoulder and formed my hands into the proper seal before I proofed (I really didn't want to use that word.) to my afore mentioned destination.

The secretary nodding at me to proceed farther into the building, I walked up the staircase, down a few halls and knocked on my appointed door. A small feeling of satisfaction spread throughout my body as I realized I could finally _knock_ on this door and not be dragged in by ANBU or being held back by Kakashi.

"Come in." His gravelly aged voice said from behind the door, sitting in his chair and smoking that pipe most likely.

Entering the room quietly and shutting the door behind me, I wasn't so surprised to find Inoichi and Ibiki already standing there with stoic expressions. I arched an eyebrow at their peculiar behavior consisting of stiff posture and sealed lips. Even Ibiki looked on edge, as if he disagreed with whatever was mentioned before I entered the room.

Starting to feel a bit nervous due to my Sensei's odd behavior, I turned my gaze to the elder Hokage who simply cast a bright smile that said _'all_ _is_ _well'_. Turning back to Ibiki and Inoichi who both stared at me curiously, at my change in color most likely, I turned back to the Old Man and opened my big mouth.

"Am I late for this? I ran out earlier so I might have gotten the time wrong." I mumbled to Old Man Hiruzen, doing my best to stand still and tall, hoping my comments from my first visit about this _'horrible'_ village, and dehydration, and what not didn't remain fresh in his mind.

"No dear, you're right on time. Your Sensei's just got here earlier than expected."

"Did I interrupt a discussion? You two," I said turning my gaze to my scarred and blonde teachers before turning back to the Old Man. "Are really off. If it was important then I don't need to be here." I finished, earning a curious gaze from the Old Man and surprised and sour gazes from the two younger men.

Leaning forward on his desk, the Hokage continued to stare at me with several emotions swirled in their depths, though I didn't bother to decipher them. I'd rather he tell me what he thought than make an incorrect assumption. With his assessing gaze locked on my face, the elder finally leaned back in his chair with a smile, his hand picking up his pipe and other adjusting his triangular hat.

"Well well Miss Hikari, you certainly are your mothers daughter. I see the rumors are true."

"What rumors?" I questioned automatically, a sharp edge thinly hidden in the tone of my words. This Old Man really likes to beat around the bush doesn't he? Why can't he just spit it out rather than dance around the subject. He's just wasting time that can be used elsewhere in better places on more important issues.

"Tell me Hikari, we know next to nothing about you and it's been quite some time for you to warm up to your Sensei's and family, why not share your views and ideas."

I blanched at the man. He's crazy. Absolutely crazy. Why is he wasting so much time in my _ideals_ when he could be assigning missions and ensuring safety or something. I don't see any productivity in this. The Feudal Lord from my Village wouldn't have wasted valuable time on such a trivial matter like my views on life and my nonexistent familial bonds.

"What do you want me to tell you?" I spat out after several minutes of silence. The elder smiled at me, a genuine smile, though I couldn't ignore the feeling that there was more to what he was doing. Why would a man of his stature waste time in something that would be irrelevant to him? Unless he wanted it for some other reason. Even then the possibilities were minimal at best.

"Let's start off with your name, your views on Konoha, who your father was, how well you agree with your family, where your from…Things of that nature."

I stared at him suspiciously and opened my mouth to answer. Though as vaguely as possible. "My name is Hikari, a feminine version of Hikaru, which was my father's name. My favorite color is light blue. I enjoy the colder weather and before this month I've never really sweated as much. My mother was Sayuri and she was an amazing medic." I finished, seeing a glint of amusement in the elders gaze at my answer.

"Thank you for that, but you haven't really given up much information. So I'll guide you through it. I'll ask three questions and you must answer them with as much detail as possible. The first subject we'll touch base in is yourself. Do you understand?" I nodded and he smiled again before inhaling a puff of his pipe and continuing.

"What did your parents do for a living?"

I scowled at the old Man. He was playing a dangerous game with my information. The less he knew, the less attached I'd be to this Village. Clenching my fists tightly and my back going rigid, I met the elders gaze with steel in my own, showing how much I detested his idea.

"Both of my parents were ninjas in their Hidden Villages. Mother being a medic nin from Konoha and my father being a Jonin from Shimogakure in the Land of Frost. They met on a mission during the Third Shinobi War and decided to move. They did and had me later on. Mom ended up the head of the Hospital while dad opened a weapons shop, he taught me how to use them when I was three after I had an episode. He was a Master of Weaponry having had my grandfather teach him when he was younger."

Hiruzen nodded and proceeded to ask his next question. "How do you feel about this Village as compared to your home Village?" Dammit. He wants to know where I'm from and he wants a definite answer.

"I grew up in the Land of Snow. It's all I've ever known and despite my…phobia…I'd rather be around those who I've grown up with. Though I don't have any siblings or immediate family from anywhere but here, the people from my Village were always my family. We were a small population and stood by each other evenly with minor quarrels here and there. Though we were by Yukigakure we didn't have ninjas and if we did, they would come and go between Villages.

Here in Konoha my family is only biological. The only relationship I might have is with Neji, but other than that I refuse to submit to Hiashi's stubborn antics, it isn't how I was raised. My parents agreed that a family should have more than a blood bond. Like your comrades they should know all your faults and strengths, they should be the ones you rely on when a situation becomes too problematic, and most of all, they should be what others can't. They should be completely honest. That's why I consider my home Village my family. The longer I'm away, the more our bond can be severed or broken, I refuse to lose what little I have left."

The Old Man stared at me intently, seemingly contemplating my elongated answer before a light bulb seemed to light up above his head and he gave an understanding nod.

"While your notion of understanding is certainly unique, I'm afraid I disagree with one thing. If you say that your Village in the Land of Snow is your family and that you have a bond with them, then whenever you decide to go back they'll be waiting with open arms. If you are reprimanded for creating other bonds then the people you thought they were weren't worth the effort. You shouldn't give up the chance to create new bonds for uncertain ones, do you understand what I'm trying to say?" the Hokage questioned, making my head spin at the new way he was able to see my views.

"And my last question is the simplest out of all so far." He continued, his jovial mood replacing the serious one. Giving him my 'really' look, to which he laughed, he asked the last question.

"What's your full name?"

I stared at him dubiously. I had already given up nearly everything else that would bind me here, what was so hard about giving up my surname? It was difficult because saying my last name was like putting the final piece of the puzzle in myself. It told them who dad was and it shows that I'm fully willing to cooperate with staying here permanently. I wasn't ready for that, however Ibiki's earlier taunting words rang clearly in my head.

_You don't_ _have the allegiance we need._

"Hikari Ryujin. My name is Hikari Ryujin."

The Old Man smiled once again and reached down into his desk before walking over to my stiff stature and placing it within both hands with a firm grip.

As I looked down at the object, I felt my eyes widen greatly. A standard head band with the Leaf insignia lay in my grasp. It was a symbol of promise. It was a symbol of strength. It was a symbol of progress. But most importantly, it was a symbol of what I never wanted to become. If I put this on, I'd be openly admitting to being a ninja, to being tied down to place I'm not even sure I like.

"Way to go Gaki, you're now a Genin. Guess you do have loyalty. Well…some sort of it at least." Ibiki stated from next to me, placing a tentative hand on my shoulder and squeezing it awkwardly with one of his rare smiles. I wasnted to protest, to yell at the man and tell him it was his fault I was in this mess. But the thing with Ibiki was, he never smiled, much less praised others openly with even a minor sign of affection. To be honest, all I was able to do was shoot him a small smile of my own and look back down at what was now _my_ headband in ambivalence.

"Ignoring most of what Ibiki just said, I'm proud of you too Hika-chan, you've made excellent progress." Inoichi said, coming from my other side and giving me a half hug while using his term of endearment that annoyed me more than anything else.

All I could really do was smile shyly. It was odd, I didn't want this title but I liked that my teachers gave me recognition for it. But…it felt like more than that. It was this warm feeling in the pit of my stomach that I really haven't felt in a long time.

When I looked back up from my headband, Ibiki and Inoichi were both gone and another man was by the Hokages side, speaking animatedly about something or other. Gulping, I took another look around the room and decided it was time to leave the room and mull oer what the hell I just agreed too. As I was walking through the room, Old Man Hiruzen spoke, and it wasn't directed to the other guy.

"Hikari since you're now a Genin, Iruka and I will need to assign you too a team, so you'll need to stay." He said, pointing towards the other guy with a large horizontal scar across his nose. 'Iruka' looked up from his papers he held and stared at me curiously before walking over and shaking my hand.

Holding my breath as my gloved hand touched his bare one, I gave a forced smile and let go of his grasp almost immediately. Iruka was a younger man compared to Ibiki, Inoichi and Kakashi. He was tanned with a bright persona that radiated off of him without him even having to speak.

"Alright…Hikari…" he said, looking down at a piece of paper, most likely making sure he said the right name. "You can just wait in here while your team comes in. it's already a cell of three, but Hokage-sama says your already familiar with their— _your_ —new sensei?"

I stared at the man with confused features. "I'm sorry, I didn't even know I was being promoted to a Genin level. Who's this teams sensei?" I questioned Iruka, who looked down at his papers once more before looking up briefly and doing a double take. After a few minutes of him flipping papers and turning to look at the door, he finally met my gaze with an unusal expression.

"Your new Sensei will be Kakashi Hatake."

**_And that's how I'm leaving this.I just want to say that I've had Hikari's surname picked out since before I posted this story at all, so I;m just clarifying that she isn't named after anyone. But when I saw Ryuujin96's username for the first time I died. XD anyways thank you Ryuujin96, Starry Lights in the Sky, Tonegawa Rie, bloodyrosethorns, Elisa1020, .9 , wolfmoon30, FrozenFlamingFire, TehBdog, and Slicer11762 for following/favoriting/reviewing on this story I HONESTLY appreciate it thank you so much you guys and thanks to anyone who's just one of those silent readers (like me)_**

**_So tell me what you think about Hikari and Naruto meeting for the first time and anything you liked/hated about this chapter. And Happy New Year! :D_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**I'm so sorry for any inconsistencies in this chapter. I feel like I was REALLY rambling in this one and it honestly feels like a plot hole, but I thought the ending was actually kind of cute and I really wasn't planning for it but you, whatever, I just went with it.**_

**_And on another…I guess it would be a disclaimer…I really didn't want to start off with this Arc but if I had started anywhere else Hikari and Squad Sevens teamwork wouldn't be as good. Especially if I had started is in the Chunin Exams. And if I had it would be all like "She just got promoted to a Genin level, now she wants to be a Chunin?!"_**

**_yeah major Mary Sue actions if I had taken that route. ANYWAYS thanks so much for reading and favoriting/following/reviewing it means a lot and PLEASE tell me what you think of this chapter_**

_Chapter Four: Gathering Intel— I Mean —…Sharing Secrets?_

"No."

"You don't exactly have a choice about this Hikari." Kakashi stated bluntly, visible eye staring boredly at my scowling features while his taut stance showed his opinion towards the matter.

After I had been told who my new Sensei was, the Hokage decided that it was alright for me to head off home and '_soak in_' the information. Apparently he was under the impression that having me wear a headband was too much of a shock, so if I met my team that day then I'd orobably have another episode.

I sighed. The Old Man was smarter than I gave him credit for, because if I had met my new team I _would_ have had another episode, what with introductions and hand shakes and anything else that could have me curled up in the corner crying for a few hours. Ibiki and Inoichi must have warned the geezer before I had even arrived.

"Yeah, I didn't exactly have a choice about this," I started, jerking my thumb at the Leaf headband wrapped around my forehead. "either. I don't even know why you're so blasé about this mission anyway. This is my first mission and the geezer just so happens to assign a C-Rank all because some loud mouth challenged him? I don't buy it." I finished, crossing my arms while my cheeks burned with anger.

The heat wasn't helping either.

Kakashi sighed, wringing his hand through his hair and down his face in exasperation, as if he'd had this conversation with someone else before. My calculating gaze never wavered from the man's movements, eyes going as far as to detect his twitching hand towards his pocket, like he wanted to grab something from it.

"I'll admit that it wasn't all because of what Naruto said, but I've already had this conversation with Hokage-Sama and Ibiki and it's been settled. You're joining Squad Seven for our mission to the Land of Waves and there's nothing else too it." He said with an authoritive tone that somehow made my blood boil. In some ways I'd find traits of my parents in other people, and right now Kakashi sounded like my dad when he was scolding me for messing with one of his special shuriken.

It really pissed me off.

Meeting the grey haired man's hard gaze with a steely glare, I felt my still fresh chakra swirling around within my body slowly, just waiting to be used the longer I glared. As my energy made a sharp turn to my hands, a hard glint entered Kakashi's eye as his body tensed further, expecting me to make a physical situation out of our verbal interaction. I wish I could, but I've run my mouth and anger the wrong way against these people for a little too long. There was only so long I could last before the Hokage decided to slam me inside a cell.

"What gives you the right to decide that for me? What gives ANY of you the right to decide any of this for me?! You think I want to stay here? You think I wanted to become a ninja? You honestly believe I want to get to know dear Uncle Hiashi and Grandfather? I hate this heat. I hate that I have no say in anything that concerns me while I'm here—"

"_Enough_ of this Hikari. These decisions were made in your best interest, whether you can see it or not. We're just trying to help you—"

"Why?" I cut in, eyes burning, doing my best to hold in my emotions that seemed to swell much too thickly for my taste. "Why would any of you care? Just because my mom was once apart of this Village?" I could feel my eyes harden as unshed tears danced across my vision, but never leaking and spilling over. "As far as I'm concerned, that isn't that good of a reason."

"Well it's a good thing you weren't consulted then. Just get some rest, we're leaving tomorrow morning." Kakashi answered bluntly, leaning back in his stance as if too show how little he cared. But even in my watered eyes, he still looked stiff and uncomfortable.

"Stop acting like you're so collected, you're starting to look constipated the longer you stand like that." I snapped briskly at the man as I turned away from his unreadable expression and started walking down the rugged gravel path. After a few steps, I turned my head, making sure he was still there to deliver my intended message.

"I refuse to become a tool. That may be what textbooks say about ninja, but I refuse to become one of those who care more about their mission rather than their comrades. I know how I am, and frankly, I don't know anyone here well enough to risk my life for."

It wasn't until I was farther away that I heard Kakashi's words, but by the time I had turned around, he was already gone.

_That's why we want you to stay here._

[][][]

As the moon shone dimly within its nestled place along the sky with her fellow companions we call stars, I was a little too busy wrestling around in my bed to notice how quiet the night had truly become. It could have been with anticipation. It could have been with excitement. But it also could have been silenced with the immense apprehension that seemed to flow within the stale air.

As I had fallen into a restless slumber, my mind seemed to flicker over numerous topics that when put together were exceedingly eclectic and neurotic. With my jumbled frenzy of thoughts, my eyes flickered open for a brief second before they shut closed once more, though with much more force. The room was dark, however the darkness behind my lids was more comforting.

I could feel my heart slowing down from its accelerated pace and into a soft drumming that allowed my tensed muscles to relax and my body to lax into the hard mattress and my mind to drift into its own land of dreams. A land of illusions.

But those dreams I needed eluded me for the seventh night. What met me in my subconscious was anything but a dream.

_Blood. Blood was all I could see from my slumped body position. Blood was all that filled my vision. It covered the floor in intricate swirls while some lay against the walls in harsh splatters, like they had been gruesomely painted. Some of the blood was the standard rich, dark red while the other half was a shining burgundy that when mixed made the most horrifying color._

_I wasn't so fortunate to be hidden to this grotesque display, and the infiltrator did well to shove my face into it all wholeheartedly. Warm reads sliding down my face, I couldn't hold in the loud sobs that racked my body and my eyes couldn't leave the scene before me._

_My parents sat against the furthest wall from me, lifelessly embracing into a staged hug with sick smiles painted on their faces. Their bodies were cut and wounded so horribly, it physically hurt to stare at them. As I turned my head from their propped position, the man's grip on my wrists tightened considerably, making me lean further into the floor._

_The masked man who had claimed to have killed them had me kneeling on the floor with him clasping both wrists in one hand. I had long since giver up on holding myself up properly, my entire body now slumped onto the sparsely cleaned floorboards._

_"They put up quite a fight, but don't worry. I managed to kill them both." The man whispered gently, though the sick glee he held wasn't unnoticed._

_I just stared, crying profusely at the corpses of the people who had given me life. As the tears slid across the bridge of my nose, following the trail of gravity and dripping onto the floor, they too mixed with the slowly drying blood stains that littered the room like proud decorations._

_"I think they look quite nice like that. Anyone can see their love." He said, now raising his voice from his jovial whispers into a normal hearing level, now obviously ecstatic at his 'work'. "But as for you…" he trailed on, hand clenching my wrists as they made a loud and sickening crack of their disjointment._

_Screaming in agony into the floor, I could feel the numb sensation spreading rapidly through my hands and up my arms as my shallow breathing became labored and irregular. It was so much. They were gone and this man dressed as one of our elite ninja killed them. He moved them from their battlefield and repositioned them into a cruel joke and forced me to watch as he did so. It was sickening even as he goaded me onto throwing up on their blood._

_"_Shut up_ you little shit! I don't need your pathetic tears to draw attention. Not yet. I have orders to fulfill for a certain someone and I'd like to stay alive long enough to do that." The man said, squeezing my broken wrists even tighter than before, in the process his fingers touching the marred skin of the jagged bone from his fingerless gloves._

_It was so slippery and slimey, this man's mind was no different than the last person who had accidentally touched me. But this man…his mind was so much _worse_. Small bits and flashes of his fight with my parents was seen briefly and then vanished, which I was thankful for. All I could see was what he was thinking about, and that was my body dead along with my parents._

_"W-why? Why would you do this? All for an order?" I heard my small voice question. Why did everyone seem to be after someone in this world? Why did people have to be killed all for the sake Of revenge? Why…why did it have to be my mom and dad?_

_"Tick tock kid. Times up and I don't feel like patching up your little bruises, but I do think I'll take some souvenirs as evidence of my…induction, if you will." He hissed, releasing my broken limbs and throwing my small body away from his as he sauntered over to the two corpses. They were no longer my parents, but empty shells._

_A small seed seemed to be planted within me as I watched the masked man seal away my parents dead bodies in a giant scroll. As he stepped carefully around the room and over my limp form that stared blankly at the blood spattered wall, I heard him push up his stupid glasses one last time before the silence was returned and I was left to ponder his fleeting thoughts._

_For Orochimaru._

[][][]

"You look like death."

"Shut up Neji, it was a long night." I quipped at his raised eyebrow, simultaneously stifling a deep yawn. After last nights new rendition of nightmares, I spent the rest of the dark hours tossing and turning, feeling that same disgusting slippery sensation in the back of my head. That man…he hadn't haunted me in my sleep for so long. I hadn't had those nightmares since the time it actually happened, after other Village members found out and took me in, they seemed to grow sparse in my slumber, to which I was thankful for. So why were they starting up now?

"I heard you got assigned a team, and a mission as well. How are you handling it?" My cousin asked, breaking the silence my wandering thoughts had created. Though dispute my frazzled thoughts, a small smile quirked up at the side of my mouth at Neji's words.

He was standing in his normal stiff posture as his hard gaze was directed ahead of us as we walked the streets of Konoha. I had to be at the front gates by my designated time, but I had made a quick stop to say bye to my stubborn, pigheaded relative. I could tell he was angry, but for the life of me, I couldn't understand why. So I went for the obvious.

"Awe how cute!" I cooed while making a grab to pinch Neji's cheeks. "Is little Neji going to miss me? I can see right through your pout you know." I continued, blocking his hits and making a few of my own just for kicks. I sucked at Gentle Fist but I trained with him regularly enough to see when he made openings for me to hit in order to practice. I don't know if he even knew he was doing them anymore, but the longer our little spar went, the more his lips seemed to upturn. I smiled at him as well even when our playful fighting had ceased and his small smile had faded.

"Don't ever do that again. It's undignified." Neji chided, crossing his arms and hoisting me with a stern glare. My smile never wavered, even as I gave him a hug. He wasn't one for displays of affection, so when he tentatively hugged me back, it was safe to say I was surprised. But it was different, to be hugged by a real blood relative as opposed to someone else. It felt so much more…genuine, I suppose. Even though Neji let go pretty quickly and hit the back of my head, it was a nice feeling. He didn't know how to express affection, not with our dear precious Hyuga Clan blood.

"I'll miss you too Neji. And," I paused and flashed a genuine and bright smile that I know reached my eyes. "Thanks, for helping me. Don't forget to train while I'm gone, okay?" I teased with one last smile before turning and heading to the front gates of the Village on my own.

Nightmares forgotten and anger temporarily relieved, I met up with my team relatively early and did well to mask my emotions. I trusted Neji, but I don't know any of these people Old Man Third decided to put me with. And besides, Kakashi told me they were a three man squad, so I don't see why adding a fourth member is such a good idea. It'll only complicate things and jeopardize their teamwork. Ibiki and Inoichi had done well to drill in me that teamwork, even with people you didn't know, was important and could make or break a mission and save countless lives.

And as I stared at my new team, I struggled to take my Sensei's teachings in stride as my eye twitched profusely. Kakashi stood, holding back that orange loudmouth that ran into me yesterday while some girl dressed in red with pink hair yelled at the blonde kid. All the while a guy with unusual black hair just glared at them all. Then there was the client I was told about. The guy drank his booze while insulting the blonde. As I kept watching silently, I mentally sighed. Well by the looks of it, there wasn't any teamwork to jeopardize. They had _none_.

"You can become Hokage ten times over and I still won't respect you, brat!" The drunkard spat out at the blonde, who just kept struggling against Kakashi. Is it too late to turn in my headband? I really didn't want it anyway.

"Who are you?" A voice growled in my direction. It was the guy with the black hair and deep scowl. Well wasn't he just a ray of sunshine? As I sized him up, I realized he had the same attitude as Neji; arrogant and pompous. Stifling my own glare at the dude, I ignored his question and looked over to Kakashi as he reassured the client who stared at me in confusion all the while, which caused everyone else to turn to my direction. _Great_.

"Sorry I'm late. I had to say goodbye to someone." I mumbled softly, averting my gaze away from everyone and settled on glaring at a nearby tree instead.

"Well then. I think it's safe to say—"

"You didn't answer the question." The angry guy with an attitude ground out, sounding much more irritated than before and interrupted Kakashi, who's fake smile now showed exasperation at all the kids around him and now a drunkard.

"I ignored it, so take the hint." I snapped at him, causing him to growl and the pink haired girl to shout about how annoying I was.

"Okay okay let's simmer down." Kakashi said smoothly while walking in between the guy with the attitude and me. "I can see you're all shocked but let's begin the introductions shall we? Hikari I see you've already met Sasuke…" our Sensei began, though pushed me by my shoulders away as me and 'Sasuke' continued to glare at each other, I knew guys like this, I _am_ like this guy, and the only way to shut them up is to befriend them and show them wrong, or beat them. I don't want to be his friend so it'll be option number two.

"And this is Sakura Haruno…" Kakashi continued, grabbing my shoulders and moving me to face the angry looking pink haired girl. Is everyone on this Squad always angry and irritated? Or is it just me? Giving me a curt nod while crossing her arms, Sakura turned away from me with a huff and wandered away towards a still glaring Sasuke. Aren't I just making all these friends so quickly.

"And lastly Naruto Uzumaki." The silver haired ninja concluded and pointing me to the orange clad hyperactive blonde who just stared at me with an unusual expression, his blue eyes growing big after awhile, as if just realizing where exactly he knew me from. Honestly, he couldn't be _that_ dense.

"I know you! I ran into you yesterday!"

My eye twitched and I felt my body shake. I was wrong, he really _was_ that dense.

Nodding my head once, I turned my expressionless face towards the rest of my new team and simply stated my full name before turning back to Kakashi with a raised eyebrow. Were we going to be leaving anytime soon? I could always go back and train with Neji, and judging by how things are going, it seems like they would all like for me to leave too.

"Alright the entire team is here, so let's get a move on." Kakashi said smoothly, making his way past the gates and into the forest with Sakura and Sasuke following reluctantly behind, casting me dubious glances every so often. Naruto just remained hyperactive as he walked and the client Tazuna…he drank too much.

As I trailed behind the main group, I let my eyes wander my surroundings; brief flashes of how I got here vaguely flashed in the forefront of my mind before vanishing once more, leaving me to compare their dingy grey hues of night to the vibrant green of the sunlight. The forest was just so etching else. There were too many trees that all matched harmoniously while random other plants littered ink between, housing animals from all ranges. The snowy landscape was just so much more easier to maneuver through.

Sure, all there was was white everywhere, but when tracking, all you had too look for were the small details that disturbed the white canvas. If you eve got lost, follow north using the stars or the wind patterns as they move the falling snow. But in a forest, multiple shades and hues of all different colors were left to be seen and all there was were details. It was so damn difficult to find anything that pertained to a mission.

The longer we walked, the more my mind seemed to wander and block out Naruto's chatter and Sakura's chiding. How am I going to deal with these people on a daily basis? Mom and Dad always drilled in me that comrades were an extension of your family, that they were to be trusted with your entire life and vis-versa. That they were your protection and foundation to being a real warrior. The only problem was…I'm NOT a warrior.

I don't even want to be a ninja. Why be someone that fights other peoples problems? Why settle a grudge that wasn't even yours? Then there were those ninja who followed the rules regulated according to the mission rather than risk their lives for their comrades. I didn't like it, scared of it even. I don't know what scared me exactly, but what ultimately terrified me was failing. Failing in what my parents taught me and becoming the complete opposite of what I was raised on.

I think…I think I was scared of being like that man. Following an order that ruined someone else's life.

"Kakashi-Sensei!" I heard a few voices yell together, effectively snapping me out of my reverie and into reality. Letting my senses fully detect the surroundings, I turned only to see blood laying in a large puddle along with body parts that looked suspiciously like Kakashi's.

"Stay behind me!" Sakura shouted suddenly. Snapping my head from the mangled remains of my new Sensei, I could feel my breath hitch quickly, claustrophobia returning as old memories struggled to take over my vision. They would have too, if the sudden appearance of chains hadn't come from the corner of my eye. Acting on natural instinct, I launched my body in the air away from the chained attack, but close enough to pin it down. Reaching into my holster, my hands threw out four shuriken that collided with two thick chains and stuck them onto a tree not apparent off, eliminating that attack. For now.

Landing back on the ground in a crouched position, I stood up in time to see Sasuke had landed too, just in front of Naruto, who by the looks of it hasn't moved an inch. Breathing heavily, I did my best to push my rising panic as I rushed over to the rest of my teammates, who seemed either frightened or calm. Standing just in front of Sakura, I held a standard kunai just before me in case any more chains decided to make a guest appearance.

Just when a sharp burst of chakra emitted throughout the area followed by a puff of smoke, all three ninja were pinned against a tree. Focusing my gaze harder, my vision blurred into different hues and shades of blues, allowing me a better access of the perimeter. Sakura stood adjacent from me, shaking slightly in a weak defense for Tazuna who seemed shocked stiff. Then there was Sasuke who seemed just as on guard as I did, but where there's Sasuke, Naruto just stood still, body shaking violently with fear. I feel you man. I really do.

Averting my gaze towards the small cloud of smoke, I could make out a tall and familiar silhouette with a distinct amount of chakra surging evenly in a calm relaxed manner, much like his stupid attitude. All calm and passive and rarely angry, it just didn't match. Releasing a sigh of relief, my vision blurred back to normal as the smoke dispersed to reveal our predacious Sensei standing stoically, like he hadn't a care in the world. Pompous bastard had me worried.

"Kakashi-Sensei! You're alright!" The pink haired girl shouted joyfully as he sauntered his way over towards us evenly. Slowly lowering my weapon, my body straightened itself as my hand placed the kunai back into its designated place. All this crap for him to figure something out, I'm sure of it. There wasn't any other reason I could think if for him to temporarily abandon his students.

Glancing around and following the direction Kakashi came from, a small brambled and squished shrub lay open and ready with a clear shot of where we stood. That must have been where he hid. That damned man.

Ignoring what everyone was saying, my eyes closed slowly as I took deep, ragged breaths, doing my best to calm the growing turmoil within my mind. That pile of Kakashi's substitution looked so painfully familiar. All that blood spattered like a sick painting, the quick reflexes of fighting…it was all just…not made for me. I had way too much going on in my head to even properly pay attention to what was going on around me. I didn't even see Kakashi get hurt! All I saw was the end result, and even then, it was only because someone had shouted in order for my attention to get caught.

Feeling the small prickling throughout my body cease dramatically, all that was left was a heightened sense of awareness. Like adrenaline had worn off, but ll it left was that sensation of looking everywhere and taking everything in. I hated this. Keeping my latest episode at bay, just barely, I felt oddly jittery and paranoid. I need to keep my distance for awhile, to at least sleep it off when the time comes, then I'll be better. Well as better as I could possibly be.

Coming to, the first thing I realized was that Naruto had his kunai sticking out of his hand. The second thing I noticed was that he was blithering away about how he was going to become stronger and not to underestimate him. The last thing I noticed was that everyone else looked just as exasperated as I felt. Ignoring the blondes last words of his speech, I began to pull out a roll of bandages and unravel it carefully, making sure the embedded ointment didn't rub off too much on my fingertips.

"That's a cool way to get rid of the poison, Naruto, but if you don't stop bleeding you'll die." Kakashi stated bluntly with a closed eye smile. Sighing out loud at his mannerisms, I made my way over towards my teacher and teammate with an agitated expression. This is going to be one long mission that I honestly didn't sign up for.

Grabbing Naruto's unexposed arm forcibly, I brought his cut up hand closer to my face in order to inspect if any poison had actually been left behind. Looking at it closely, the gash was deep and his blood kept running, but other than that, no poison seemed to be left in his system. Huffing in annoyance, I unravelled a portion of my bandage roll and began wrapping his hand slowly, making sure not to touch skin.

"Did you want to check it first?" I finally asked, turning to Kakashi briefly as he nodded and knelt down, looking at the half wrapped wound. At his serious expression, my gaze flickered to the bloody wound. But when my eyes met the wound, it looked a lot less scuffed up. It was…healing…and healing rather quickly. What the hell? How is he healing so quickly? Not even a ninja can regenerate cells without medical assistance of a medic nin, and Naruto isn't that smart to know how to do that subconsciously. So how the hell is he doing that?

Apparently we'd been staring for quite awhile because Naruto's scared and quaking voice asked us a nervous question.

"Am I going to be alright? You guys have this really scary look on your faces."

I scoffed at his words and continued to wrap his hand tightly before dropping it altogether. Putting the bandages back I to my hip pouch, I proceeded to ignore what everyone else was saying.

It was irrelevant if I wasn't really planning on staying anyway.

[][][]

"Hey are you sure your alright? You've been really jumpy since the fight earlier today." Sakura commented, sitting a little to close to me for comfort. Scooting away just slightly, making it seem like I was leaning away instead, I gave a fake smile that I wouldn't even buy.

It took two and a half days to properly reach the Land of Waves, however, since we were moving at a faster rate we would be there in just two. Having stopped when dusk hit the sky and shadows covered the landscape, Kakashi made us set up camp, though since Tazuna lied too us about the nature of this mission, it was now classified as a B-Rank or higher depending on the level of the emery we face. How incredibly terrific. Things really do play out like crap for me.

"Just skittish is all…you know…all that blood and stuff." I lied clumsily, waving my hands in an unusual fashion. I'm pretty sure I look like a total idiot, but it's been a long day and I really don't feel like making friends.

Giving me another one of her dubious looks, Sakura nodded and turned to the other direction, attempting to make conversation with a glaring Sasuke. Honestly, I don't understand how this team is even functional. Sweeping my gaze around the little campfire we'd made, Kakashi was bust reading while Naruto ate hi instant ramen greedily, all the while Sasuke kept his scowl in place towards me as Sakura was trying to talk too the guy. Huffing silently, my eyes turned to the small flame we called a fire.

According to our Jonin leader, we weren't supposed to draw attention to ourselves, so the fire had to be minimal at best in order to decrease the amount of smoke it gave off. Based off if everyone's moody behavior I could tell the lack of warmth was agitating them. A small smirk played at my lips as I watched all shiver every once in a while. They were used to the heat of the Land of Fire while I was used to the cold of the Land of Snow. It was ironic actually, all of them were inperceivably covering up their exposed skin when I just wanted to take off my jacket and enjoy the small chill. It was comforting.

"Since this is your first overnight mission, I'll take the first watch while you all sleep." Kakashi said, eyes never leaving his small orange book. What the hell was that even about anyway? Everywhere he went, that damned book went along with him, must be pretty good too. It doesn't take that long to read something once.

With groans and complaints, everyone made their way towards their sleeping bags and began to knock out. Feeling like something that died out in the snow, I couldn't bring myself to sleep properly, mind flashing back to the nightmares that had been so fond of haunting me lately. Lying flat on my back and staring up at the stars, i breathed deeply and evenly, content at the beautiful sky above me and the soft sound of Kakashi flipping pages.

As my arm outstretched to trace a certain constellation. A pang of longing overcame all my senses. The sky looked so beautiful from the ground, how amazing would it look from up close? To be able to soar through the sky…touch all those soft white clouds and fly past the sun without my wings melting. That longing seemed to intensify as my lids shut, gaining a much clearer image of the canvas constantly above us. Gently closing my fist, my arm lowered itself and rested firmly upon my chest and over my heart, a silent gesture of respect.

The longer I stayed in this position, the easier my anxiety and claustrophobia vanished. If physical touch was the trigger to my fear, then the sky— day or night —was my safe haven. Almost giving into the dreary slumber that beckoned me, my eyes opened slowly and blinked a few times at a distant sound. It didn't match anything the forest or any of us had to offer. It sounded almost nonexistent the more I strained my ears to catch the soft twinkling off in the distance.

Finally grabbing a brief moment with the noise, my sluggish muscles tensed into an awakened state. That sound…it sounded…it was _laughter_…two people laughing. It was Mom and Dad laughing, like they used too when Dad was so ignorant and made the stupidest comments or mistakes. Whenever Mom would start to laugh, he'd just blush and stutter for a moment before joining in, equally as happy to belt put the sound.

I never realized how much I loved that sound. How much I _missed_ that incessant noise.

"You alright there Hikari?"

Jerking my head away from the direction I heard the soft twinkles of laughter, I caught Kakashi's concerned gaze. It wasn't until then that I realized I was fully sitting up and staring out into space with my hand still over my heart. Taking another fleeting glance out into the dark forest, I listened intently as the comforting and _familiar_ sound vanished entirely.

"Yeah…I'm fine." I murmured quietly, still staring at the distance with a doe like expression that I seldom allowed myself to wear in public. Bit this was different, this wasn't something I was prepared to experience ever again.

"You don't look fine. Did you hear—"

"Laughing. I heard them laughing…" my voice mumbled automatically, my entire being fixated on finding that long lost sound again. As I was deliberating whether or not to search for the origins of it, I saw Kakashi close his book and turn to me cautiously from the corner of my eye while my hands clenched and unclenched. I knew I shouldn't go, just like I knew Ibiki would use my pride to trick me into being a ninja. But like that, I was so tempted to go and find the,. These were my parents, not enemy nin that would decapitate me for looking at them the wrong way.

"Who did you hear laughing?" My new Sensei questioned calmly, even though his concern wasn't hidden. I would be freaking out too. I did a lot of things, but stare off into space with a dreamy expression wasn't something I strived to do on a daily basis. Feeling a pair of big hands grab my shoulders firmly, my view of the landscape was blurred as Kakashi pulled me to face him. Even as my body moved a different direction, my head did its best to keep my onlook before eventually giving up, though it didn't stop me from trying to look back at that same spot.

It was like having a Dango addict turn away from their favorite shop and act as if it wasn't even there. I knew it was there, and it would hold my attention for as long as possible.

"Hikari?" Kakashi asked once more, giving my shoulders a shake to fully grab my attention away from the abyss of plants and onto him. Swiveling my head away from its painful position and now forwards, I stared at the silver haired man dumbly with unseeing eyes. Maybe it was my lack of sleep that was causing severe delirium and an extra bout of audio hallucinations that started my slow toddle to insanity.

"Hikari. Who did you hear laughing?"

"Mom and Dad." I answered softly, eyes flickering aimlessly, trying to take in the darkened state of our surroundings. How long has it been since I let myself think about them? My eyes glistened as more thoughts along the same nature filtered throughout my head. It's been nearly two years and I haven't stopped to think about them in _so long_. Taking in deep ragged breaths, I struggled to remember both of their mixed laughter, my Dad's shining pale blue eyes that matched mine and my Mom's rare smile saved only for a select few.

"Hikari—"

"I know their not here, it's stupid of me to think that. Their dead. I saw it…but it sounded so much like them…" my voice trailed on, eyes downcast onto my clasped hands, fingers twitching for the photo I carried with me constantly. Deciding I'd face the consequences later, I broke free from Kakashi's grasp and reached over to my discarded blue sweater and took out the worn photo that was older than I was.

Tracing its feathered edges carefully and meaningfully, I stared down at their smiling faces and let a small smile of my own cross my lips. Why didn't I smile this much anymore? Why haven't I laughed like they used too? Did a part of me really die when they did?

Wordlessly, I handed the photograph to a no doubt curious Kakashi and watched as his face morphed into several distinct emotions. The sorrow was clearly displayed, however, it was a different sorrow than mine. His seemed to touch a different level than my own, but just as deeply. He appeared shocked, at my father most likely, then smiled a little under his mask.

The photo was of Mom and Dad when they were younger, Mom was about eighteen and Dad was maybe a year older. They both stood next to each other, side by side, with wide smiles in place while subtly holding on to one another. Mom had her head tilted towards Dad with her wavy brown hair loose and a wide smile on her lips— which both were a rarity —and a faint dust of pink covering her cheeks. Dad on the other side seemed to tilt his body towards Mom as well, flashing the camera a peace sign and hoisting his usual wide smile and pale eyes twinkling, his bright blonde hair was shaggy and unkept. Looking closer, I could see Dad with his arm around Mom's waist and her arm around his as well. This was my most prized possession for several reasons. It proved that no matter how young they were when I came around, they were in love before. It reminded me of happier times and of their smiles when together.

"You do look a lot like your father you know. That smile could use some work though." Kakashi noted bluntly, though I let out a few chuckles at his attempt of cheering me up and distracting me from my delirium. The guy really wasn't that bad when you think about it.

"I was told that a lot when I was younger, but not the smile part. I was always generally happy." I responses, hands wringing themselves into my sandy braid and making sure it was still loosely in place, exhaustion seeping into my bones. I really am tired of playing this game of hide and seek with myself.

Picking up on my oncoming slumber, my Sensei gave me a light pat on my shoulder before stating he was going to go check the perimeter for a few minutes. Unknowing that there even _was_ a perimeter to check, I shrugged and made my way back to my sleeping bag and took my previous postition of gazing up at the stars once more, wishing I could be up there along with them.

Just when the corners of my vision were fading into unconsciousness, a soft statement prompted me to turn to the person sleeping a few feet to my right. Lazily and sleepily moving my head, I listened to his words sluggishly and with minimal reception until they sunk in.

"I don't have parents either." He said softly, my sky blue eyes meeting his ocean colored ones evenly, words finally clicking moments after.

Drowsy and sleep deprived, my mind was reeling in a thick and hazy fog that nothing could penetrate at this point. Perhaps it was me sympathizing, or it was me wishing it was someone I hadn't seen in awhile, I don't know. I have no idea what possessed me to reach over and grasp his hand and squeeze it with what I can only assume was reassurance.

"I'm sure they loved you a lot." My voice murmured softly, eyes fluttering shut slowly with my mind thinking of the night sky and those blue eyes I couldn't seem to place.

I fell asleep before Naruto could respond, and honestly, I hope he let go of my hand. Because if he didn't I was in for a nice little episode when I woke up.

**_Review? Please? i really feel like it was just off._**


End file.
